The National Press Club has never been more outspoken in defending journalists under fire and pushing for greater transparency—both in the United States and globally.

Jason Rezaian has been a focus of our work since his arrest more than 500 days ago. We have issued numerous statements to protest his continued detention; his mistreatment and isolation during captivity; the secrecy surrounding all his judicial proceedings; and his unfair trial, conviction and sentencing.

The National Press Club will draw attention to Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian's 500 days of wrongful detention in Iran by publicly reading his stories for a 24-hour period beginning at 7 a.m. Friday, Dec. 4.

The reading, which will occur in the Club's Bloomberg Room, will be open to the public and webcast on the Club's home page, press.org. During the 24-hour period the Club will also raise awareness of some of the other journalists being wrongly held, including Khadija Ismayilova and Austin Tice.

Leaders of the National Press Club expressed concern Nov. 10 about a YouTube video and news reports that appear to document bullying of a student reporter by a crowd of activists on the University of Missouri campus.

The video showed a crowd of protesters trying to intimidate Tim Tai, a student photographer who was reportedly on assignment for ESPN, in an effort to keep him away from an enclave of protesters. The video showed at least two people who were said to be university staff members involved in mistreating Tai by pushing him or threatening to keep him away from the protest area.

The National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. We fight for a free press worldwide. We strongly believe reporters should have access to public figures and public information so they can do their jobs, which are essential in a democracy.

The National Press Club called on Azerbaijan to free journalists jailed in that country on spurious charges.

On Sept. 1, an Azeri court sentenced Khadija Ismayilova, a reporter who has written for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and other news organizations, to seven and a half years in jail, ostensibly for illegal business activity, tax evasion, embezzlement and abuse of power. She has been imprisoned since December 2014.